Plunger-elevator.



PATENTED OGT. 25, 1904. JR. & G.E.0SGHGBR. PLUNGER ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1904 L. A. GONNER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

no MODEL.

8 J 4 W 5 fliia... m A 6 v .k m HP N HRH S. E s s E N W W No. 773,478. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904. L. A. GONNER, JR- & (LE, OSGHGER'.

PLUNGER ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION IILIBD JAN. 20, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 7 ZSHEETB-SHBET 2.

Patented October 25, 1904.

UNITED ST TES PATENT rr'rcn.

LENDELL A. GONNER, JR, AND CHARLES E. OSGHGER, OF PITTSBURG,

- PENNSYLVANIA.

PLUNGER-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,478, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed January 20, 1904. Serial No. 189,787. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LENDELL A. CONNER, Jr. and CHARLES E. OSGHGER, both of the city of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Plunger-Elevator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which 7 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side section through an elevator installation arranged in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of two elevator-shafts. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation showing a part of our mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail crosssection of the slide mechanism. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of one of the guides. Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of the right-handportion of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation of the left-hand end of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the rack-actuating mechanism. 2

Our invention relates to the class of plungerelevators, and is designed to provide automatic mechanism for guiding and bracing the plunger carrying the car.

It is well known that plunger-elevators are practically only for buildings about eight stories in height, since beyond that height the length of the plunger becomes so great that it is liable to bend sidewise and become dangerous. It was then proposed to guide such plungers by cross-heads which moved at a different rate of speed than the car and also to provide a cross-head which is stationary during a part of the plunger travel and is then picked up and moved upwardly by the plunger at the same rate of speed as the plunger.

Our invention is designed to provide auto' matic guides which move entirely independent of the plunger, these guides being located at a suitable level or levels where it is desired to afford the guides and side braces for the plunger, and, further, to provide automatic means which will move the guides into operative position at the proper time in raising and retracting them before the car reaches their level in lowering.

1n the drawings, 2 represents an elevatorshaft, 3 the car, and 4c the plunger.

5 represents successive floors of the building, and at suitable distances apart in the height of the building we locate our movable plungerguides. We have shown two types of such guides, one which is pivoted and swung intov and out of position and another which is mounted on'a slide and is reciprocated. It will be understood that the guides may both be of either of these types. Referring now to the swinging type, 6 represents a rock shaft Which is mounted in suitable bearings 7 7 at the back of the shaft. Secured to this rockshaft is an A-shaped frame 8, which carries at the apex a guiding-roller 9, adapted to bear against the plunger a. The ends of the shaft 6 are extended from the bearings, and to one of them is secured a locking-wheel 10, having a notch 11 in its periphery. In the retracted position of the frame the notch 11 is engaged by a spring-pressed plunger 12, secured at the lower end of a plunger rope or chain 13, whose upper end is secured to a lever let, carrying at its inner end an antifriction-roller 15. This roller 15 is in the position to engage a vertical guide 16 on the car, which guide is provided with bent or curved ends arranged to engage and swing the lever 14. ()n the up ward travel of the elevator-cage the lever is swung upwardly and idly, merely slacking the flexible connection to the locking-pocket. On the down travel of the car the guide swings the lever outwardly and lifts the locking-dog out of engagement with the wheel 10. The extended guide on the car holds the dog in retracted position until the guide is swung downwardly and out of the path of the car. To swing the guide into position, we provide a sprocket-wheel 17 on the other end of the shaft 6, with which engages a sprocket-chain- 18,extending upwardly over another sprocket- Wheel 19 on a stub-shaft 20. The chain is provided on its inner portion with two projecting fingers or lugs 21 and 22. These are placed at such a distance apart that in the up Ward travel of the car a projection 28 on the car will engage the finger 21 and actuate the chain until this finger passes up over the upper smocket-wheel. During this movement the shaft 6 will be rocked upwardly into approximately horizontal position or very slightly below it. As soon as the guide reaches this portion the dog 12 enters the disk 10 and locks the guide in operative position. This upward swinging of the guide is assisted by acounterweighting system. This in the form shown consists of a weight 24:, secured to a flexible connection 25, extending over and secured to a wheel 26, fastened centrally on the shaft 6. The weight is preferably arranged to nearly counterbalance the weight of the guide. On the downward travel of the car and while the dog is lifted by the elevatorguide the projection 23 engages the finger 22 on the sprocket-chain and moves the sprocketchain until this projection passes around the lower wheel, thus swinging the guide backwardly out of the way. lf desired, the chain may be provided with a single finger, which will be engaged by the car to lift the guide, the downward movement of the guide being accomplished by gravity.

Referring now to the sliding guide, we show a slide 27, which extends under the flooring and is provided with a centrally-raised rack 28. The side wing portions 29 of the slide are engaged on the upper face by pressurerolls 30, and edge rollers 31 may be employed to prevent side or lateral deflection of the slide. The slide is supported upon lower idle rollers 32. The rack is engaged by a pinion 33, which is preferably mounted centrally on the shaft of a pair of the pressure-wheels, and on this same shaft is a sprocket-wheel 3 1, connected by chain with a double sprocketwheel 36, engaged also by a chain 37, passing over an upper sprocket-wheel 38. The chain 37 is provided with two projections or lugs 39 and 40. mounted in aposition similar to the lugs 21 and 22 in the other type and actuated in the same manner by the car. The slide is preferably provided at its front end with a guide-roller 41, arranged to fit against the plunger. To lock the guide in projected position, we may employ a spring-dog 42, which is actuated by a system substantially identical with that shown for the spring-dog 12 of the first type of guide. \Vhen the ear moves upwardly, it engages the lug 39 and actuates the chain, thus moving the slide outwardly into operative position. On the downward travel after unlocking the car engages the lug 10 and positively retracts the slide.

The guides are preferably mounted in pairs, so as to oppose each other and form supports for the sides of the plunger to prevent it from bcndingor sagging. These guides may be used in any desired number and at any desired distances apart in the height of the building.

' The advantages of our invention result from the simplicity and automatic nature of the guides. As these guides do notmove with the plunger, they may be used in any desired number, and the size of the plunger may be reduced, owing to the eificient side-supporting of it at different levels. No gripping means for securing cross-heads to the plunger are required, and the guides may be arranged where they will not interfere with the gates or the operating mechanism.

The movements of the guides may be obtained by other mechanism than that shown, such as by electrically-controlled motorsor pneumatic or other pressure fluid systems, and many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the guides without departing from our invention. since we consider ourselves the first to provide guides which are moved in to engage the plunger and do not travel with the plunger.

e claim 1. A plunger-elevator having a movable guide located at a fixed point in the travel of the plunger and automatic mechanism for moving the guide into and out of engagement with the plunger; substantially as described.

2. A plunger-elevator having a movable guide arranged at a fixed level in the travel of the plunger and actuating mechanism set in motion by the movement of the ear arranged to move the guide into and out of engagement with the plunger; substantially as described.

3. A plunger-elevator having a pair of guides arranged at a fixed point in the travel ofthe plunger and means for simultaneously moving said guides into and out of engagement with the plunger; substantially as described.

a. A plunger-elevator having a pair of guides arranged to engage opposite sides of the plunger, and actuating mechanism set in motion by the movement of the car and arranged to move said guides into and out of operative position; substantially as described.

5. A plunger-elevator havinga movable guide mounted at a fixed point in the travel of the plunger, actuating connections for the guide and a trip on the car arranged to start the connections into action; substantially as described.

6. A plunger-elevator having a movable guide therefor, mechanism arranged to move the guide into engagement with the plunger after the car has passed above its level, and mechanism for retracting the guide before the car has moved down to its level; substantially as described.

7. A plunger-elevator having a movable guide therefor, mechanism arranged to move the guide'into engagement with the plunger after the car has passed above its level, and mechanism controlled by the movement of the car for retracting the guide before the car has moved down to its level; substantially as described.

8. A plunger-elevator having a pair of guides arranged to engage different sides of the plunger; and a pair of operating mechanism independent of each other arranged to move the guides into and out of operative position; substantially as described.

9. A plunger-elevator having a movable guide therefor located at a fixed level, mechanical connections arranged to move the guide into and out of operative position, and an element carried on the car and arranged to actuate said connections; substantially as described.

10. A plunger-elevator, a'movable guide for the plunger located at a fixed level, mechanism for moving the guide into and out of operative position, a lock arranged to hold the guide in operative position, and means for tripping the look before the car reaches the guide in its downward travel; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

LENDELL A. CONNER, JR. CHARLES E. OSCHGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, H. M. CoRWIN. 

